“Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” – Esther 4:13-14
Many people quote Mordecai’s rebuke to Esther as a life-verse which is to represent prestige, power and favor. You’ll see shirts, hats, mugs and social media posts that proudly ring out, “for such a time as this.”
But few people truly connect the context of the verse with how they are using it. Esther was being scolded for her self-indulgent, self-preserving mindset. Esther was being reproofed for living large and embracing royalty over service. Through those telling words, Mordecai was reminding Esther that she had been chosen to set her own interests aside, let go of her own ambitions and face an enemy full-on.
She was to risk her life and her legacy with no guarantees of a positive outcome. That’s the “for such a time as this” Esther was challenged to accept. And that’s the “for such a time as this” God also sets before you.
He didn’t place you where you are so you could eat figs all day long or post pictures of yourself on social media.
It is God who has given you your job, position, resources, education and more. It is God who has opened the opportunities for you to optimize for His kingdom purposes. He didn’t place you where you are so you could eat figs all day long or post pictures of yourself on social media. He’s placed you where you are because you are in the midst of a battle; a war. You are in the midst of a seismic conflict involving Good versus Evil.
To miss your kingdom assignment because you have become too caught up in your personal kingdom itself is the greatest tragedy you could ever face.
To miss your kingdom assignment because you have become too caught up in your personal kingdom itself is the greatest tragedy you could ever face. An entire nation was grateful for how Esther responded to Mordecai’s rebuke. Their lives were spared. How many can be spared in the culture where we live today when we choose to step up to service, even if it involves sacrifice?
